Chapter 1

Isabella

After my father and step mother saw me, they drove me back to the house and apologized profusely the entire time. 

I said nothing since I couldn't believe my luck. What were the possibilities of running into the reason I was fleeing? 

We finally arrived home, and I was escorted to the couch, where my father and stepmother sat by me, and the Alpha king across from them. 

"Your Majesty, we are deeply sorry for what happened back here; I assure you that it was a strange accident. This is Isabella, our daughter,” My father added, "She's the one you requested," And all I could do was look at the floor in bewilderment.

The fact that my father hadn't bothered to clarify what was going on to me beforehand perplexed me. If I hadn't overheard their chat, I'd have had no idea. 

"But where was she going in such a hurry?" The king inquired, and my father laughed uneasily. 

"That was my fault, I had sent her to run one last errand before you arrived, nothing else," he lied. 

"I see," the king replied, sitting back in his chair. 

"Let's get to the subject that brought us here and get over it," After he said that, my father pulled me up from the couch and walked me to the open space behind the living room.

"I'm very sorry about this, Isabella,” My father whispered to me, "It was never my intention to do this, but for the sake of this family, please play along." 

I simply scoffed and smiled sadly. I couldn't do anything about it. I was afraid that if I told the king about it, he would punish us for deceiving him. 

The king handed my father a stack of papers, which he and my stepmother signed. I was also requested to sign. After that, I was quickly driven to one of the cars that the king had brought.

I got in and looked out the rear window at my father and stepmother, who were standing there looking at the car. 

My father waved at me as the car began and drove away, but my stepmother just stood there with a smug look on her face. 

I sat back down and sighed. I was ready to start a new chapter in my life, and I didn't know what to anticipate. 

Knowing the alpha king, he may kill me for even the smallest error. I would rather stay at my father's house than with the king, because I was never in continual fear for my life, despite the things my step mother and sister did to me. 

Plus, I was not traveling as a wife. I was essentially sold. This made me even more unhappy. I was sure it was obvious on my face how upset I was, but it didn't change anything.

The journey to the King's Palace was uneventful. I just glanced out the window, wondering how my new life would be, and we arrived at the palace in a little more than an hour. 

It was massive. I had never been there before, so I had no idea what it looked like. It was gorgeously ornamented. And if I thought the outside was gorgeous, I had no idea what to label the inside. 

As we entered, I followed the king, but as we walked, I spotted some gorgeously dressed women standing in a corner, pointing at me and conversing amongst themselves.

I scowled in confusion but didn't think much of it. The King led me into a room that appeared to be his study. 

It was a vast, gloomy room. There were bookcases, a leisure area, and a large mahogany desk and chair on one side. He walked to the chair, and I stood in front of it. 

"Well, since it's your first day here, I'd like to brief you on what goes on in this house, as well as lay down the rules and regulations," he began, biting the inside of my bottom lip, nervous about what he was going to say.

"First of all, I already have five concubines here. You'll meet them eventually, but I'm simply preparing you." As he stated this, my mind returned to the women I had seen earlier. 

"There will be no fighting or arguing among any of you. You are to do your utmost to become acquainted with them and live harmoniously. Any defiance of this rule would result in severe punishment," he warned, and I nodded. 

"You are coming in here as my wife and Luna, thus you have a better standing than them and will be treated differently. You must eagerly fulfill whatever assignment you are assigned, as I will not allow any tardiness.”

"Yes, sir," 

"You may be my wife, but that doesn't mean you get to do everything you want. You cannot fall in love with me or have a child for me. If you eventually do, find a way to manage the situation alone, for if I find out, you will suffer the harshest punishment." 

I could understand not falling in love with him, but not conceiving was beyond my control. 

"And finally, I will not allow any type of disobedience, so you must obey every word that comes out of my lips. You may have the title of Luna, but you hold no power here; only I do. Is that clear?”

"Yes, sir," I said with my brow wrinkled.It's not like I hadn't expected it. I was sold to him, so there was no way he could treat me with dignity. I was essentially a slave with a title. 

"As my wife, your duty for tonight would be to prepare the food that I would eat, and grace my bed," As he said this, my heart skipped a beat. 

It had been a long time since I had cooked because my stepmother never allowed me to enter the kitchen. The worst part was that I was still a virgin, and I didn't believe it was a good idea to give my first time to a man like the King.

It felt like he would be tough with me and hurt me, which I wasn't ready for. 

"Step out, someone will show you to your room," he said, then stared down at the file on his desk, entirely disregarding my presence. 

I sighed and went out the door. One of the guards took me to a room on the third floor. He showed me the King's room, which was on the same floor as mine, and where it was. 

When I entered my room, there were three maids waiting for me. The room was already tastefully adorned.

I gazed in amazement. I'd never been in such a gorgeous or large room before. It was more than twice the size of my previous room. 

"These will be Luna's personal maids. They would look after your every need and run errands for you," the guard said, and I nodded and thanked him.

With that, he left. 

I gazed around the room, sitting on the bed and enjoying how soft the mattress felt under my buttocks while the maids watched. 

"Luna, you can rest for now, and we'll come later in the evening to help you prepare the King's food and get you ready for him," one of them smiled, and I nodded.

“Thank you. So, what is your name?” I asked them. If they were going to be my maids, I needed to become acquainted and friends with them. 

"I am Leah," the girl that had spoken before said. "This is Maya and Katie," she said, gesturing at the two girls on either side of her. 

"It's nice to meet you, my name is Isabella. I hope we can be friends and work well together," I said, smiling. 

"Yes, Luna," they said together, and then they left. 

I was fatigued both physically and mentally from the day's activities, so I laid down properly in bed and fell asleep quickly.

**************

I was awakened by a little tap on my shoulder. I looked up and saw that it was Leah. 

"Luna, it's time," she said, and I jumped out of my bed. 

I wanted to get everything done on time and correctly to prevent any problems with the king. 

When we got downstairs, I was instructed what dinner the King would have, and we started preparing right away. I tried to make it as tasty as possible. I couldn't do anything that would irritate the king on my first day. 

After we finished, Maya and Katie were to do the plating, while Leah brought me upstairs to prepare.

She had prepared a fragrant bath, and I bathed in it for a bit before getting out. I washed my teeth, and when I walked out, Leah had arranged what I would wear. 

It was a white, extremely short, see-through nightgown with a matching jacket that could be worn over it, and I could only wear white panties inside. 

Maya took the food upstairs to me, and when I changed into my clothing, Leah assisted me in carrying the food to the King's door, where she gave it over to me before leaving. 

I quietly knocked on his door but got no response, so I assumed it was my turn to enter.

I pulled the door open and moved in with my back to avoid hitting the tray, but what I saw as I entered stunned me to the core. 

The King was on the bed with a woman I imagined was one of his concubines, having sex. 

I was so stunned that I dropped the tray to the ground, finally capturing their attention. 

The woman looked shocked, and the King looked furious as hell.